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Glenshee and Deeside

One of my favourite runs. It is circular so you can start anywhere you like and take it in any direction. Starting from my home in Forfar I'd head for Kirriemuir then the A926 to Blairgowrie and on to the A93 to Braemar. Now this is a cracking road. The first section to the Spital has lots of twists but a few blind summits to watch out for and needs bit knowledge to get the best of it. It is also pretty bumpy for a couple miles either side of the Spital. But from there to Braemar is terrific. You can wind on up and over the summit followed by a never ending series of bends to Braemar (just watch out for the odd sheep or two). After Braemar it can get a bit touristy at some times of the year so watch out for them and for a variation take the South Deeside road (B976) from Balmoral. At Aboyne (The Boat Inn offers good food and real ales) pick up the B976/B974 to Fettercairn over the Cairn o' Mount. Just listen to that exhaust note as you hurl down the other side From Fettercairn on to Brechin via Edzell and then the B9134 back to Forfar. This keeps you off the boring A90 dual carriage and you get to wind on up the Angus Hill with a great view over Strathmore, past the Aberlemno standing stones and the back down the hill into Forfar with a few nice twisty bits on the way.

Ooh, A93 to Braemer only done it in the rain but it was a nice road, even saw the queen out shooting as you go down from the ski station towards Braemer I was on the multi think how good that stretch must be on 9xx or 999 you could see into every corner and the bends flowed, even in the wet 2 up and with luggage it was fun.

That run was part of the Midgie Masher wasn't it? Remember it well. Two up on the 996, had a fast run over there in the company of a Triumph Speed Triple, a K5 Gixxer1000 and an R1 - we were out the front and had a ball. No Ducs with us though at that time, they caught us all up a bit later, but a hell of a blast. Both the guy on the Triumph and the one on the Gixxer knew the road well and guided us expertly through - we had never done any of the roads before but it was obviously their playground. We knew that their lines were good lines, allowing us to pitch in with confidence - when they braked, we braked, when they only lifted, we only lifted, when they gassed it we gassed it too, magic! Look forward to it again this year.

Been on this route dozens of times its one of my favourites! recommend it for a short day out. To take the whole day head up the lecht and speyside before coming around by Aberdeen and then back over the cairn o'mount loads of twists and turns with the odd straight in the middle of nowhere - no cameras and great viz.

Aye, they are a recent addition. If you check in the Dundee Courier on Saturdays it tells you what days they will be out and, if your paying attention like you should, you can see them from miles away.

The Following User Says Thank You to Derek For This Useful Post:

Aye, they are a recent addition. If you check in the Dundee Courier on Saturdays it tells you what days they will be out and, if your paying attention like you should, you can see them from miles away.

Chiz shouldn't have a problem as he can now see anything white at the side of the road from 3 miles away and should be able to stop in time!

Never argue with an idiot..onlookers may not be able to tell the difference.

A slight variation on Derek's route :- My starting point Ballater then - South Deeside road to Banchory - turn right over the Cairn o' Mount to Fettercairn - Kirriemuir via Edzell on unmarked roads - B951 through Glenisla, joining the A93 Glenshee road at the pottery workshop - Braemar - Crathie - B976 to Gairnshiel - left on the A939 to Corgarff - left and up the Lecht to the Tomintoul "T" junction - right on the B9008 / B9009 to Duftown - right on the A941 to Rynie ower the Cabrach - right, A97 / A944 to Alford - right on the A980 to the Crossroads Hotel - right again, B9119 to Tarland and hence hame to Ballater. 172 miles, around 16,000 foot of climb over the three highest "A" roads in the UK, locally known as the "Sna Road Run". I've done it twice, first time in a Landrover to suss out the route, next time on my Colnago pushbike, almost 15 hours of non-stop torture. Must try it oot on the 916SPS some day.

A slight variation on Derek's route :- My starting point Ballater then - South Deeside road to Banchory - turn right over the Cairn o' Mount to Fettercairn - Kirriemuir via Edzell on unmarked roads - B951 through Glenisla, joining the A93 Glenshee road at the pottery workshop - Braemar - Crathie - B976 to Gairnshiel - left on the A939 to Corgarff - left and up the Lecht to the Tomintoul "T" junction - right on the B9008 / B9009 to Duftown - right on the A941 to Rynie ower the Cabrach - right, A97 / A944 to Alford - right on the A980 to the Crossroads Hotel - right again, B9119 to Tarland and hence hame to Ballater. 172 miles, around 16,000 foot of climb over the three highest "A" roads in the UK, locally known as the "Sna Road Run". I've done it twice, first time in a Landrover to suss out the route, next time on my Colnago pushbike, almost 15 hours of non-stop torture. Must try it oot on the 916SPS some day.